Category Archives: Water – A Vital Resource

Can We Meet Our Water Needs? For our closing blog on water-our most vital resource, we will use an article written by Alexandra Groome with Regeneration International http://regenerationinternational.org, a project of the Organic Consumers Associationhttp://www.organicconsumers.org. He uses a book written by journalist Judith D. Schwartz, titled Water in Plain Sight: Hope for a Thirsty World, to give what could be a solution to the water crisis we have been discussing in previous blogs. This blog is a paraphrase of Groomes article. We encourage you to seek out the full article titled: Re-thinking the Water Crisis: With a Little Creativity, We Can Meet our Water Needs

Groome points out that seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface is covered with water. Yet only 2.5 percent of Earth’s water is freshwater, of which only a small proportion is actually available to meet the needs of humans and animals. Some of this water is locked up in glaciers and ice as part of the explanation. Water is life as we have

Forest stream running over mossy rocks

mentioned numerous times in our other articles. We are at the mercy of it and vulnerable to its scarcity!

Schwartz gives a number of examples of how some farmers worldwide are solving the water shortage problem. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to list all the web sites an info, so we encourage you to go to the original article and review the web sites that give an international overview of the issue. The key she uses is “managing water by mimicking nature.” Most of us have heard about the couple in the Texas desert who harvests dew to meet their needs and those of their many guests. She goes on to give sites to read from Zimbabwe to Mexico. One site that may peak your interest is: http.//regenerationinternational.org/Land-Restoration-With-Holistic-Management. This is an approach to livestock management that mimic natural systems. She says “Their efforts have successfully restored the water cycle and local biodiversity, and allowed rural villagers to get off the international food aid.”

Since the COP21 Paris Climate Summit there has been a more determined approach to managing water involving revitalizing soil. “One third of our excess atmospheric CO2 can be attributed to huge losses of carbon in the soil, primarily due to destructive agriculture and land use practices such as deforestation, soil-tillage and leaving soil bare.” Because we have disrupted the carbon cycle we have also disrupted the water cycle, says Schwartz. Carbon is essential to retaining water in the ground.

The article goes on to explain how we have altered climate dynamics and how history has cautionary stories of communities who have depleted their soil or chopped down forests, only to suffer floods and droughts. “The moral of the story: Carbon-rich soil and the plants it sustains help manage the water cycle, and the water cycle drives weather and climate.” The question is asked if we can actually avert both a climate crisis and water crisis by, at least in part, paying more attention to how we manage water?

Schwartz believes we can! Farmers worldwide http://regenerationinternatonal.org/farmers-are-capitalizing-on-carbon-sequestration are choosing to work with the carbon cycle, she says! Her point is that if farmers use the land-use practices we can restore carbon to the soil and most importantly restore the Earth’s natural water cycles. “Every 1-percent increase in soil carbon represents an additional 20,000 gallons per acre that the land can hold.”

Schwartz is convinced what stops us from solving our water problems is imagination. “It’s because most of us, in particular people who make decisions, and the policymakers, are disconnected from the natural processes that govern the flow of water.” What does she suggest? “a very important thing is what food you buy, what clothing you buy and learning more about the practices that are generating the food and fiber that we use in our lives.”

As we close out the series on water we hope you have gained knowledge of what you might be able to do to encourage better management of our most valuable and vital source – water! Please make yourself aware of your local scene. How does your community use and support water management and conservation. If you have a homestead and farm or if you have a garden in your backyard, practice good management of the resources. No small amount of good practice goes unnoticed to the earth.

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

Everyone’s Concern – Most of us do not think much about water, how safe and clean it is, but it should be everyone’s concern. We have mentioned in our other blogs about how individuals could take action and make their own water safer. But we also know

A water drop from a leaf causing a ripple on the surface reflecting a green jungle atmosphere

there is a bigger picture and much more information than space allows. What we will do in the next two blogs is point out some additional apprehension about the future but in closing on this subject we will offer a “re-thinking the water crisis”

First, let us look at a recent article: On September 20, 2016 the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a paper titled ‘Erin Brockovich’ Carcinogen In Tap Water Of More Than 200 Million Americans. Most of us know who Erin Brockovich is from the stand she took against a power company that polluted the tap water in Hinkley, California. It was later made into a movie and now she is back to use her name and concern about what has been discovered in most everyone’s drinking water! One of her most famous lines was when she offered the lawyer a drink of water and says “ We had that water brought in ‘specially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley”. If you have not seen the movie or know the story, if may be worth your time.

It has been twenty-five year (25) since this real life confrontation but the issue, chromium-6, is not over. “A new EWG analysis of federal data from nationwide drinking water tests show that the compound contaminates water supplies for more than 200 million Americans in all 50 states.” The controversy remains and seems to be at a standstill as to why the cleanup has not occurred. Scientist and the industry remain locked in a decision. The scientist and advocates want regulations based strictly on the chemical’s health hazards while industry, political and economic interests want more relaxed rules based on cost and feasibility of cleanup. “If the industry challenge prevails it will also extend the Environmental Protection Agency’s record, since the 1996 landmark amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, of failing to use its authority to set a national tap water safety standard for the previously unregulated chemical”. Studies by scientist continue to show that this toxin in our water is dangerous in numerous ways including cancer. The article is long and involved but can be read in full by going to www.ewgorg/research/chromium6-in-tap-water.

One last article that concerns water and our future to have a safe and clean supply is titled: The New “Water Barons”: Wall Street Mega-Banks are Buying up the World’s Water. The original source of this article is Market Oracle and written by Jo-Shing Yang an independent researcher and author. It was first published in December 21, 2012 by Market Oracle and Global Research.

Forest stream running over mossy rocks

The article warns of the new “water barons” – the Wall Street banks and elitist multibillionaires that are buying up water all over the world. These different individuals and companies are buying up thousands of acres of land with aquifers, lakes, water rights, water utilities and shares in water engineering and technology companies.

As if this is not enough to be of concern, governments are limiting citizens ability to become water self-sufficient. One case to note is the well-publicized issue of Gary Harrington in Oregon. His attempt to

goldfish jumping out of the water

collect rainwater in three ponds on his private land was criminalized and he was sentenced to 30 days in jail. A quote by Andrew Liveris, CEO of DOW Chemical Company said, “Water is the oil of the 21st Century.” (quoted in The Economist magazine, August 21, 2008)

Again, we remind you, these articles are very in-depth and we have only given a very basic introduction to the materials. If you find it something you also are concerned about please go to these articles and read in full. Our last blog on this subject will be a more positive theme of what might be done for all of us to have safe and clean water.

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site at www.usiusa.com and if you have a need feel free to call! USI understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

Nation Wide- In our first two inquiries concerning water in the United States we looked at the home and how we, as individuals, might carefully seek ways to keep our water clean and safe. We then looked at the community and again how we might not be a part of the problem. Now, as we look further into the water quality and supply in the United States we will point out some of the areas of the country that already have problems and then what lays ahead. Flint, Michigan is not the only place called attention to with water pollution. In August of 2016 according to AgMag and an article by Brett Lorenzen, Director of Midwest Outreach, Des Moines, Iowa Water Works warned customers of elevated levels of microcystins, a toxin created by bacteria, in their drinking water. Such toxins can cause a myriad of problems from liver failure to other serious health issues.

Woman taking clear water at a lake by hands

It’s pretty scary when one is told to avoid consuming too much water, since dehydration in August can certainly occur. The irony of such a situation is that the Water Works is under no obligation to warn the public. The EPA has set no legal limit on this toxin. This type of problem is not new to Des Moines as they regularly face such issues. Being a big farm area this is one of the sites in the US that has severe runoff of toxins from industrial agriculture.

Going all the way across the country, and as recent as September 16, 2016, we find that pipeline operator, Colonial Pipeline, has announced a gasoline pipeline spill has occurred in Alabama and the governor has declared a state of emergency. This doesn’t just affect Alabama but also, Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. The pipeline leak has spilled 6,000 barrels of gasoline in rural Alabama to date. They will begin digging up the line, but no one knows the total amount of gasoline that will soak into the soil and eventually gravitate to water sources. Pipelines are perhaps a necessity, but also can be a liability. Further on we find the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Native Americans fighting for their land not to have a pipeline go through it under the Missouri River. Not only have their burial grounds been bulldozed but the possibility of the pipeline breaking concerns the Natives for their water supply, just as we are seeing on the East Coast.

As if there are not enough concerns already about water we must also face the fact that our drinking water everywhere is being contaminated through human drug waste in sewage and medicine flushed down toilets. Just consider the sheer number of Americans taking drugs such as statins, acid reflux, antidepressants, blood thinners, and the list goes on. All of these end up in our waterways eventually and only a certain amount can be treated through waste water treatment centers. Organic Consumers Association reports that the testing of New Orleans water found pain reliever naproxen, the sex hormone estrone and cholesterol drug byproducts. We are just beginning to realize all the drugs prescribed, and many not, ending up in our water and causing problems. Unfortunately, the first signs of drugs being in our water show up in the fish. As early as 2003 fish became the indicator we had a problem with drugs in our waterways. But drugs don’t just come from the individuals, “factory farms” are also a big source of drugs in the water.

One last point to be made about the danger of clean water becoming a rare commodity are the aging pipes and outdated treatment plants that threaten our nation’s drinking water systems. Many of our treatment plants are using nearly century-old technology. Politicians hold off on “things not seen” to make a bigger “splash” with things seen. The treatment plants are not the only antiquated concern, our pipes leading to homes and businesses are equally old. The Bush administration committed $850 million a year through 2018 for assistance to the nation’s drinking water systems, according to the EPA, but it is estimated it will take $500 billion over the next twenty years to really fix the nation’s public water system.

With such a gloomy picture we want to look for solutions and that will be our focus in the next of this series. There are ways to “Re-think” the water crisis as one such article promises. We will take a look at that article and see what is suggested.

.

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

In Our Community – We hope you have taken time to read the first of the new series about water here in the United States. If you have, you may be considering changing some of your own personal habits at home. You may have taken a minute to look around you to see what kind of products you use to “clean” and sanitize your house! If you did and you also read the ingredients you are aware that they are very toxic and possibly cause some of the health issues you may have with members of your family. Now, let’s discuss the water coming into your house, the process of it getting there and is it clean!

We pointed out in the first article the issue of Flint, Michigan and how their water supply was poisoned by the lead in it and that it was so high it could be declared as hazardous waste. According to sources, it is just a matter of time till other areas in the country will be having a drinking water disaster. Such places as Philadelphia, and Chicago and many other cities have old lead pipes receiving and dispersing water into residence and businesses. That could be just the beginning of municipal water pollution crisis. Clean drinking water sources are now polluted in a number of places throughout the United States. They are polluted because of treated and untreated sewage, by animal feeding operations, industrial discharges and chemicals used in agriculture. Old pipes and fixtures can be replaced, but all the toxins in our drinking water cannot be removed, even with the advanced technology we have today. That is what we will discuss a little here in our second article and it will again involve you, the home owner.

There are many things causing environmental pollution, but the ones we hear the most about is industry and cars. We don’t think about today’s food production, our modern way of producing food! Many of us can remember when we grew most of our food and if not there was a market close by that grew it and it was all local. Today, your food may be grown local but on a much larger scale and certainly is not life sustaining but chemical dependent and striping the soil of its nutrients, destroying critical soil microbes from over plowing and adding toxic fertilizer or spraying for pest. All of these farmlands are saturated with toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that then, because of runoff goes into our ground water, rivers, lakes and oceans. What happens? Dangerous levels of nitrogen can end up in your drinking water. We now have grasslands and pastures that have been eliminated and the consequences is that much of the natural filtering of ground water is just not there. It is industrial crops that are chemical driven and causing health risk that we read about often. Mass production drives the industry, without thought to consequences. At one time in our history we allowed crop rotation and large fields to rest. This would cut too much into the profits though today

So, where do you play a part in this? There are a number to things one can do and USI Team tries to do many of the things suggested. If you have a home and have grass that you want to look pristine, you probably use fertilizer, right! Remember, that can end back up in your community water system. If you must have green grass, try finding organic nutrients or do as we do, have a compost pile that produces good soil and acts as a fertilizer. It is not only used in the garden but also on places in the yard that need the extra nourishment. You may be the only one without green grass all the time but you can smile and know you are not contributing to the problem as we discussed about household toxins. For the garden and any of the plants you plan to eat, there is Fish Emulsion which is organic and much healthier for the plants and the end product which you will consume. Again, research how you can better help your health and your families by not using toxins in your yard and garden. USI also has a facebook site that talks about alternative ways to a healthier way of life – it is Nancy’s Health Tips. Check it out, there may be suggestions that you will want to try.

.

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

In Our Homes – This new series about water safety and cleanliness will take a closer look at our own environment in the United States and our community. Do we have issues? Just a few months ago our attention was on Flint, Michigan and the water toxins that they endured. Until then, you may not have given much thought about the glass of water taken from your tap! With the “too late” breaking news we saw how bad decisions and ignored problems with toxic water caused an entire area to have polluted water, health issues and a myriad of future problems. Now it will take generations for the community to recover from the damage. But before we get into how the water gets into your house, where it comes from and what treatment it has gone through, let us take a look at what you might be doing that adds to any problems in the local community! We feel pretty sure your response will be that you are not contributing to the safety of the local water system. Let’s take a look!!

Stop a moment and take into account the products you use in your house to keep it what the “commercial” world tells you will make it “sparkle”. Everything from bleach for the clean clothes to oven cleaners and many other types of “cleaners” are used that can really cause indoor air pollution. But one concern is that these same cleaning agents can lead to some members of the family having breathing problems and we often don’t know why. According to Organic Consumers Association “cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposure reported in the U.S Poison Control Center” — But what has that to do with your drinking water? When you are finished cleaning, where do you dispose of the water with the cleaning substance, that’s right, in the sink – which goes where – right into your sewer system which leads to a nearby treatment plant! Eventually that treated water, which has not taken out all the toxins ends up in a river, stream or ocean somewhere. Phosphates, although banned in many states, remains in automatic dishwater detergents and is responsible for the killing of fish and other organisms. It acts as a fertilizer, developing an overgrowth of algae. So, perhaps you are part of the problem, at a very basic level, but never the less what you use in your house is important and you need to think about where the residue goes. Everything that goes down your drain ends up being treated along with your sewage and other waste water at your local municipal treatment plant, it is then discharged into nearby water ways. Even though many of the ingredients of the chemical cleaners can be broken down, others don’t and threaten water quality, fish and other wildlife.

So what can one do and what action would be the right thing to do to know we are doing our part in keeping clean water a priority? Many of you may remember the day when the “commercial” world did not promote the types of cleaning agents used today. Our grandmothers cleaned, but how? They used nontoxic and safe at home products that one can still depend on. We at USIUSA have changed many of our habits and rely on some safe and simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and borax. This takes a little more scrubbing, but we assure you it is safer for your home, those breathing the chemicals, as well as the process that takes used water to your streams and rivers near you and others. Space does not allow for all the ways we clean, but it is easy to research this. Just type in to Google the product you want to change and ask for a nontoxic recipe. You can also research the dangerous ingredients in your present products. There are many sites that can give you ways to clean, pest control, and toxic food ingredients. Think about you and your family and what you are breathing and eating. Take charge of your life and don’t allow big business to tell you what to use – Check it Out!

.

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

What Can Be Done? Water is very fluid and does not follow any borders or boundaries. Therefore, it crosses all lines from state to state, country to country. What does this mean – that water polluted in one part of the country will become the water used in another part of the world. Think about that! If you are near a body of water in the United States and throw your empty water bottle in the water, it could just as easily end up in another part of the country. That means it is very difficult to make and impose any one set of laws to protect the world’s waterways. There are those who have tried, and we do know of a few laws that are made to try and prevent dangerous levels of water pollution. In as early as 1982, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1978 MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was passed. In 1972 in the United States the Clean Water Act and the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act was passed to protect both surface and ground water supplies. But we know that didn’t help Flint Michigan when their struggle with lead became known.

Let us look at another possible problem when it comes to pollution in water. In an article by Story Hinckley, August 5, 2016 the headline reads: How to Deal with Toxic Waste Buried in Greenland’s rapidly melting Ice Caps. Greenland’s ice sheet is melting very rapidly and because of this a buried toxic waste is resurfacing. In 1959 Camp Century was a US military base built on and under the Greenland ice sheet to test nuclear missiles during the height of the cold war. But in 1967 the US decommissioned the base, leaving behind the various waste from a nuclear reactor such as gasoline, sewage, and radioactive coolant. “The US, along with Denmark who controlled Greenland at the time, did not think much of the buried waste, assuming continual snowfall would only bury the remnants deeper.”

Unfortunately, as the ice has begun to melt recently, scientist say the waste is only about 115 feet below the surface of the ice and will resurface in the near future. This is not only an environmental problem but a political one. William Colgan, lead author of the study told Smithsonian magazine, “We’ve gone from ‘eternity’ to ‘we really need to start thinking about this.” If the pollution occurs, one can imagine the damage to the surrounding ecosystems. This is of great concern to the scientist, as they begin the “journey” of convincing politicians and others the potential danger this issue can bring.

So, what can one individual do or a group? The best thing anyone can do is take the dangers of having clean water for the future seriously. Educate yourself and your family members about the world’s water supply and how what you do at your home could impact someone many hundreds of miles away. Find out if your local community has a program to educate the general public about water conservation and water pollution. Think about what you are doing, from spraying chemicals on your yard and garden to spilling gas at the station. All of those things have an impact. Be aware and do not buy plastic bottles of water, but instead buy a glass water bottle and carry it with you. Sign up with a group that cleans beaches and rivers and be sure and support laws that make it difficult for polluters to get by with throwing their trash out.

Water is our most vital resource. Take it seriously! Our next blog begins to look at the United States and conditions concerning clean water. Do you know what your water source is in your area and how safe it is?

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

A Further Global Look – When we look at the two different sources of water we find two places it is found on the planet. The first source is surface water. This is the water that we can see when looking at oceans, rivers, ponds and lakes. This is where our plants and animals must rely on to find this valuable resource. There must be plenty of clean water or both plants and animals are affected by the lack of and the pollution of their nourishment. The second source of water is groundwater. This resource is stored within the Earth’s aquifers. This is where the oceans and rivers supply drinking water for the human population. Both of these sources have become polluted in different ways, but are critical to life on Earth. We touched on what is referred to as The Great Pacific

Tired fishing fleet getting back, France near the Atlantic ocean

Garbage Patch in an earlier article. We will look at some of the ways the two sources of water become polluted and contaminated.

We have already touched on how large bodies of water can become polluted, using the example of the Pacific “patch”. We know that another way water becomes polluted is through a factory or waste water treatment plant carelessly releasing toxins into waterways. Farming near lakes and streams that lead to larger bodies of water is a major concern also. With so much commercial fertilizer being used we have an overload of nitrogen runoff leaching into the water ways. Groundwater can equally become contaminated, although underground. When there is a chemical spill it will seep into the ground or again, agricultural runoff can find its way into the groundwater. Take a look around you and see where you feel there is neglect and possible water being in danger of becoming polluted. Possibly you do not live near a large body of water and feel that you are safe from the dangers discussed concerning your drinking water – think again! We need to look at this issue as every single living thing on the planet being affected, from you and your family to the tiniest plant in your garden. We must not forget also, that prescription drugs and other types of drug uses are finding their way into the water that we rely on to survive. None of us are immune to the dangers of not having safe water.

What we eat also becomes an issue when water is polluted. If the fish you buy has been exposed to or eaten toxins then that fish is polluted also. There are locations that do not allow fishing for this very reason, the water is too contaminated. Life cannot be sustained if the trash or toxins are abundant. Again looking at the Pacific “patch”, as we will refer to it, the impact is great and very harmful to marine wildlife. We have heard stories about sea turtles mistaking plastic bags for food, seals and other sea animals getting caught in abandoned fishing nets. The stories are numerous and sad that more forethought has not been given to the earth as a living organ to be nurtured.

Another major effect of floating plastic in a body of water is its ability to block out sunlight from reaching photosynthetic plankton or algae. These are microscopic organisms that are a crucial function as the base of all of marine food web. If less plankton is available animals that rely on plankton, such as turtles or fish, will decrease in numbers. If such should happen and the population of turtles and fish were to decrease, so would the ones who depend on those sea animals for food, such as the tuna, sharks and whales. You can see the ripple effect; if marine food becomes less available the cost to buy such will increase.

In our next article we will look at another toxic waste site that has scientist troubled. We will also look at what is being done as far as laws and some solutions. But for now, we need to do what each of us can do by not buying and using plastic, use glass when possible, recycle what is allowed and try and keep the trash at a minimum. If you try this, you will find it will make a change in the way you shop for groceries and all buying. It takes a conscious effort to do your part, try it for one week and see what a difference you can make!

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

Water – A Global Look – As a continuation of Part One, looking at the “global picture” of water and the safety of it we will turn to an article mentioned before. Jenn Savedge has written in About.coman article titled What Is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?Her account of this phenomenon will be our source as we paraphrase and quote from her article. She says this “patch” was first written about in 1999 by sailing captain Charles Moore. He wrote in Natural History about his discovery. In part he says:

“— as I gazed from the deck at the surface of what ought to have been a pristine ocean, I was confronted, as far as the eye could see with the sight of plastic. It seemed unbelievable, but I never found a clear spot. In the week it took to cross the subtropical high, no matter what time of day I looked, plastic debris was floating everywhere: bottles, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments. Months later, after I discussed what I had seen with the oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, perhaps the world’s leading expert on flotsam, he began referring to the area as the ‘eastern garbage patch”.

Woman pouring filtered water in glass, top view

What exactly is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Savedge tells us it is the collective name given to two distinct masses of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean. It is actually comprised of the Eastern Garbage Patch, located near Japan, and the Western Garbage Patch, located between the U.S. states and Hawaii and California. It has formed because of the currents that trap debris in their stable centers. It is literally mounds of garbage that has found its way into the ocean by many and varied ways. It has accumulated in such enormous quantities in our world’s oceans that ecologists worry about the effect it is having on marine habitats and wildlife.

Oceanographers and ecologists recently discovered about 70 percent of marine debris actually sinks to the bottom of the ocean. The remaining amount is suspended in the ocean waters as “a cloudy soup” of microplastics and other types of garbage. Is it any wonder we are hearing reports of marine life dying and floating to shore? This marine life sees these items as food or other curious objects to be explored. All of this can lead to the death of the sea animal or starvation from plastic inside them. As Savedge says “ we have all seen the photos of turtles, dolphins, whales, and sea birds that have become entangled and entrapped by floating bits of plastic”. This is not the only danger though, all of this plastic can leach harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical has already been linked to not just environmental issues but human health problems.

We all need to consider this a personal problem and truly look at what we ourselves produce as hazardous waste to the environment and eventually to our water system. The ocean is just one aspect of accumulated debris. If you have local recycling pick up, be conscious of what can be recycled, and do it! Here at the USI office there is no

Plastic pollution in river / BANGKOK THAILAND – JANUARY 23: plastic pollution in river in Bangkok Thailand on January 23 2016

recycling ability nearby, so it is accumulated and carried to the closest location. Yes, it is an inconvenience, but one we feel strong about and find it more than worth our time an effort. It lowers the number of trash bags that go into the landfill, another subject for concern!

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.

Water – are we in danger of having safe water? This new series will concern the availability of safe water as a vital resource. It will be in two parts. Part One will take a look at the Global water issue and why the question is asked if there will be safe water in the near future? Part Two will concern a more “at home” issue of what do you do if an emergency arises and you and your family find yourselves with a lack of clean water. Both matters are the concern of many, but unfortunately, it would appear that not

Plastic pollution in river / BANGKOK THAILAND – JANUARY 23: plastic pollution in river in Bangkok Thailand on January 23 2016

enough people take it seriously and we really don’t know the outcome. It seems we, as a human race, have ignored the “evidence”. We will try and give a fair picture of the Global and more Local scene of water as the most vital of resources. The question remains, should the safety of our water supply be taken more seriously?

Part One: A Global look at clean water. Our planet is made up of mostly water. Aquatic ecosystems cover more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. That appears to be a good thing! So why are we concerned with a lack of Safe Water? Just keep in mind that all life on Earth, as we know it, relies on water to survive. So we have more than just humans to consider when looking at a bigger picture of the water issue. According to the World Wildlife Fund water pollution is considered the world’s biggest health risk. It not only threatens humans, but also numerous plants and animals rely on water to live. According to an article dated January 24, 2016:

“Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet. Every ocean and every continent from the tropics to the once-pristine polar regions, is contaminated.

This is not a very pretty picture if you think about it! There are those who believe, such statements are exaggerated and perhaps they are to some degree, but is there a real problem? Regardless of how you feel about it, let’s take a look at some of the “evidence” that supports such a statement. What exactly do we mean by “water pollution”? It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, we are pretty sure you have seen plastic water bottles and other debris floating in a river or stream. Just imagine that tenfold! Pollution is occurring all the time from homes to factories, from individuals

Black water pollution in the big city

to gathering of people. It comes from using plastic that is not biodegradable, or rubber tires being deposed of incorrectly, or many other items that cannot break down and become a source of contamination. Just look around you and if there is any kind of industry, how do they depose of their chemical waste? We have sewage treatment plants and air pollution to add to this problem. How can we improve on the quality of safe water? We must begin to take a good look at such issues, because this debris in the water that you observe may just be the water that comes into your house, although treated! Is the treatment enough to truly filter such water for safe drinking?

Overall preparation for what nature can throw at us is not that overwhelming but it does take a little effort. USI has a wealth of information, equipment and training for everyone about all forms of mitigation so visit our web site atwww.usiusa.comand if you have.” a need feel free to call!

USI Understands that Survival isn’t learned from books but real world experience. This is just one area which makes Universal Survival Innovations unique in the world of training and equipment.